The Razer Kishi Has Made it Easier to Combine Gaming and Parenting
PC Games in hand, always around when needed
My gaming PC is located in my basement at my desk. It’s a sanctuary. It’s where I’m writing this. No child is allowed inside, and sound does not travel as far down here. When I put on my headset, it’s as if the world does not exist.
For a father of three, that is sometimes inconvenient.
Inevitably, one of my kids will need my attention just about every 15 minutes. Such is the life of a parent. But it’s hard to be halfway into a Heroes of the Storm match and suddenly have to yell upstairs “WHAT.”
Enter the Razer Kishi.
Please note, my opinion is my own. I have not received, nor requested anything from any company for this review.
The Razer Kishi is a mobile device game controller that attaches right to your phone. When left on the counter, one might confuse it with a Nintendo Switch. The buttons and joysticks are functional. The joysticks are a little tall, and the buttons have a longer travel time than say an Xbox One controller, but they’re fine. The worst buttons are the triggers, but again, I’m looking for functionality, not a 1:1 comparison to my perfect gaming setup.
There are two models: one for Android and one for the iPhone. I currently use an iPhone 11 Pro Max, and it comes right out of the box configured for that. It also has rubber adapters for different sized phones. There is a lightning port to charge the phone while playing, which is handy.
As a heads up, I managed to score this and the Razer Hammerhead earbuds in a combo package for a sale price of $49.99 (both of the items usually retail for $99.99 by themselves). In terms of value, it didn’t feel like I was investing a lot of money into something I had already been interested in trying and getting a bonus along with it.
I had downloaded the Steam Link in preparation to test out the in-home streaming of games to my phone. I have a fast network, and all seemed to work out great. After some slight configuration on my PC, I was given the big-screen view of Steam on my iPhone. Take a look:
How does it perform? Well, the games stream incredibly well, but the controller is what we’re talking about here.
The Kishi has some issues with a very small amount of games. For instance, I couldn’t vanish attack in Dragon Ball FighterZ by pressing the medium and heavy attack buttons together. That’s not good, as it’s a move that’s incredibly necessary. However, I’m betting there is a workaround somewhere. Dead Cells and Fall Guys, on the other hand, played incredibly well. I’m excited to keep trying other games and see results.
I managed to get into Final Fantasy XIV, and while the text was awfully small, I still had a ton of fun just running around and doing some fates/small tasks. Maybe I’ll even give a simple raid a try at some point.
After trying these games, I realized that I’m pretty much set to play Steam games on my couch while my kids throw me questions about milk and why we don’t go places anymore. My kids are always watching YouTube videos or playing games on their Xboxes and PCs. Being in close proximity will help my wife out and generally make it easier to sneak in a quick 15 minutes of Fall Guys or whatnot!
One thing to note: for Android users, the Kishi is compatible with Xbox Game Pass, which gives you a plethora of awesome titles. It gave me pause, as I’m someone who jumps from iPhone to Android. I do have Game Pass, so this could be a big plus for me. If you exist in Game Pass land, then this could be a deal maker.
The Razer Kishi isn’t a perfect device, but the convenience and ease of use make it an excellent addition to your gaming supplies, especially if you can find one for the price I did!
Do you have a Razer Kishi? What do you think? Let me know!
